Lantern container



3, 965 F. D. POLITANO 3,198,321

LANTERN CONTAINER Filed June 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FRANK D. POLITANO ATTORNEYS 3, 1965 F. D. POLITANO 3,198,321

LANTERN CONTAINER Filed June 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS lnwfifill LANTERN CONTAINER Frank D. koiitano, Bountiful, Utah (3443 Honeycutt Road, Salt Lake City, Utah) Filed June 12, 1963, Ser. No. 287,368 Claims. (Cl. 206-1) This invention relates to containers for conveniently carrying and storing camp lanterns and accessories therefor.

Camp lanterns are most frequently made of metal and glass with fabric mantles that are ignited and a fuel control system to supply fuel and air in desired quantities to the mantles. Because of the rough treatment received by the lanterns during camping operations and during movement to and from camp grounds, the glass is frequently broken, the control system is damaged, and more often the mantles are destroyed. In most instances, it is a tedious operation to tie new mantles in place, and desirably this should be done as infrequently as possible.

It has also proven inconvenient to have accessories, such as a funnel used for filling the lantern fuel reservoir, containers for extra fuel supply, matches, and extra mantles, haphazardly placed among the camping paraphernalia.

The container of the present invention is particularly adapted to rigidly hold a camp lantern of any one of various sizes during carrying or storing thereof, to conveniently hold accessories used therewith, and to provide a firm base stand for the lantern while it is being used for illumination.

Features of the invention that render it particularly useful for carrying and storing camp lanterns are a circularly grooved bottom; accessory storage compartments; a tight fitting telescoping lid having a central hole therein adapted to, receive the threaded top post of a lantern and a recessed area surrounding said hole, which recess enables a nut to be easily screwed on or off the top post and to be positioned below the level of the uppermost surface of the lid Where it will not be readily damaged and present an obstacle to objects placed on top of the lid.

In one preferred embodiment, a tang on a container lid interconnects with one of a plurality of mated grooves on a container bucket, and the container is provided with a carrying handle. The tang and multiple groove arrangement allows the container to be used for various size camp lanterns, prevents undesired rotation of the lid in addition to precluding possible damage to the lantern from crushing forces applied as other camp gear is stacked on the lid.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings specific embodiments of the invention representing what are presently regarded as the best modes of carrying out the generic concepts in actual practice. From the detailed description of these presently preferred forms of the invention, other more specific objects and features will become apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical axial section of a rectangular crosssection form of the invention with a lantern, shown in elevation, in place therein;

FIG. 2, a top view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a horizontal cross-section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a vertical axial section of another preferred form of container having a circular cross-section;

FIG. 5, a top view of the same container; and

FIG. 6, a horizontal cross-section taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 3.

United States Patent 0 3 ,193,321 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 Referring to the drawings:

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the container is of rectangular cross-sectional configuration and comprises a bucket 10 and lid 11.

The base of the bucket is formed with a hole 12 adjacent one side therein and out of the area defined by a central circular groove 13, which groove is adapted to receive and hold the base of a lantern 14. The hole 12 serves as a receiver for the reduced end of a funnel and holds it in place.

A plurality of compartments 12' are formed adjacent to the base and along the opposite side wall of the bucket, and these compartments serve as holders for other nonillustra-tecl accessories, such as fuel containers, mantles, and matches.

The lid 11 telescopes tightly over the bucket 10 and is prevented from rotating by their matching non-circular shapes. Hole 15 passes through the lid 11 and is adapted to surround the threaded top post 16 of the lantern, as shown.

The top surface of the lid is recessed at 17 to a depth suflicient to prevent objects placed on top of the closed lid damaging either the top post or a wing nut is threaded on the post and to prevent the top post extending beyond the top surface of the lid where it will form an obstruction to objects stacked thereon. The diameter of recessed area 17 is just slightly larger than the diameter of the lantern base, so that the lantern, when in use, can be placed on the container and be solidly supported within the recess.

Another form of the invention that is readily adaptable for use with a large number of commercially available lanterns is shown in FIGS. 46. In this modification, the container, consisting of bucket 19 and lid 20, has a circular cross-section and the lid telescopes inside the bucket.

A pair of upstanding concentric broken shoulders 21 and 22 are centrally formed on the inside base of the container. These shoulders form receptacles for lantern bases and greatly increase the versatility of the unit since most lanterns having a base too large to fit within the circumference of the inner shoulder 21 will fit over the inner shoulder (made shorter than the outer one), and within the outer shoulder 22.

To further increase the versatility, a plurality of grooves 23, 24, and 25 extending from the top rim of the bucket downwardly various distances are provided, and the telescoping surface of the lid includes a tang 26 adapted to tightly fit and slide in the grooves. The depth of the groove will determine the distance the lid can telescope into the bucket when the tang is aligned with it. The groove depths are chosen to accommodate lanterns of various sizes. The bottoms 27, 28, and 29 of the grooves provide abutments against which the bottom 30 of the tang will stop as the lid is telescoped into the bucket. Further pressure on the lid, resulting for example from camp gear stacked thereon, will be transmitted to the bucket through the tang and groove and will not be borne by the rather fragile lantern.

To illustrate the versatility of the container, when a short lantern is placed in the bucket, the tang is aligned with groove 25 and the lid telescoped into the bucket until the bottom of the tang contacts bottom 29 of groove 25, as shown. For a tall lantern, tang 26 is aligned with groove 23 and for an intermediate height lantern tang 26 is aligned with groove 24. In any event, the threaded top post of the lantern protrudes through hole 31 in the lid and a wing nut, not shown, is threaded thereon.

The circular cross-sectional construction of the bucket and lid allow the tang to be aligned with any desired groove, and it should be apparent that, if so desired,

smaller bases.

more than one tang can be provided on the lid with cor responding grooves on the bucket.

As in the previous embodiment, the upper surface of the lid is recessed at 32 to prevent damage to the wing nut and threaded post and to facilitate easy wing nut op eration. Also, as in the previous embodiment, the recessed area is made circular and large enough to encompass the base of a lantern placed therein. In this modification, however, a concentric upstanding inner shoulder 33 is provided within recess 32 to surround with The inner shoulder does not extend to the top of the recess, thereby allowing larger base lanterns to fit over the shoulder and within the recess, when in use.

One or more compartments 34 are formed by the bucket wall, the bucket base and an upstanding partition 35 extending parallel to the wall surface for a desired distance. The previously mentioned lantern accessories are easily stored in this compartment.

To enable the container to be more easily carried, a bracket 36, having three finger holes 37 therein, is mountedadjacent the top rim of the bucket. Because of plastics relatively low cost and the ease with which it is formed, the container is preferably formed of high impact plastic, but other rigid materials, such as metal, could be utilized.

Whereas there are here illustrated and specifically described certain preferred constructions of apparatus which are presently regarded as the best modes of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made and other constructions adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow.

I claim:

1. A container for camp lanterns having a circular base and a threaded top post comprising: a bucket; a

plurality of grooves extending from the top rim of the bucket downwardly along the bucket wall to varying depths; a lid adapted to telescopingly seal said bucket; a tang on the telescoping surface of the lid, said tang being adapted to individually mate with each of the grooves thereby limiting telescoping movement between the bucket and lid; a circular groove formed on the inside bottom of the bucket and adapted to receive the base of a camp lantern; a hole through said lid adapted to receive the threaded top post of a camp lantern; and a circular recess formed in the top surface of said lid in surrounding relationship to said hole, said recess being just large enough to surround the base of a camp lantern and having sufiicient depth that a nut screwed onto said top post and into engagement with the surface of said recess does not extend upwardly beyond the top surface of said lid.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the circular groove formed on the inside bottom of the bucket is defined by a pair of concentric shoulders, upstanding from the flat bottom of the bucket and wherein the inner shoulder is shorter than the outer one.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the recess in the lid has the same diameter as the outer concentric shoulder upstanding from the fiat bottom of the bucket and wherein a circular shoulder extends upwardly from said recessed area, said shoulder having the same diameter as the inner concentric shoulder upstanding from the flat bottom of the bucket.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein carrying handle means are provided on the outside of the bucket adjacent the rim thereof.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein said container has a compartment formed by the bucket wall, the bucket bottom and an upstanding wall extending parallel to the bucket wall and partially around the outer concentric shoulder and wherein said bucket and said lid and constructed of high impact plastic.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 872,052 11/07 Chittenden.

1,071,662 8/13 Burgener 20616 1,249,439 12/17 McCoy 20616 1,739,425 12/ 29 Stefan.

1,837,249 12/31 Barber 220-17 2,030,465 2/36 Nist 20652 2,308,5 67 1/ 43 Reichart 20646 2,836,257 5/58 Muller 220-55 3,018,030 1/62 Schnee 206-46 3,080,964 3/63 Robinson 206-46 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

Patent No. 3, I98, 321

August 3 1965 Frank DE Politano ion and that the s corrected below.

Column 3,

after "surround" insert lanterns Signed and sealed this 19th day of April I966.

:SEAL) lttest:

IRNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Tttesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A CONTAINER FOR CAMP LANTERNS HAVING A CIRCULAR BASE AND A THREADED TOP POST COMPRISING: A BUCKET; A PLURALITY OF GROOVES EXTENDING FROM THE TOP RIM OF THE DEPTHS; A LID ADAPTED TO TELESCOPINGLY SEAL SAID BUCKET; A TANG ON THE TELESCOPING SURFACE OF THE LID, SAID TANG BEING ADAPTED TO INDIVIDUALLY MATE WITH EACH OF THE GROOVES THEREBY LIMITING TELESCOPING MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE BUCKET AND LID; A CIRCULAR GROOVE FORMED ON THE INSIDE BOTTOM OF THE BUCKET AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE BASE OF A CAMP LANTERN; A HOLE THROUGH SAID LID ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE THREADED TOP POST OF A CAMP LANTERN; AND A CIRCULAR RECESS FORMED IN THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID LID IN SURROUNDING RELANTIONSHIP TO SAID HOLE, SAID RECESS BEING JUST LARGE ENOUGH TO SURROUND THE BASE OF A CAMP LANTERN AND HAVING SUFFICI- 